Lipid droplets as endogenous intracellular microlenses
With the demand in real-time monitoring of endoplasmic variations and rapid detection of extracellular signals, a great number of approaches to bioimaging have been developed. The past few decades have witnessed a dramatic progress in optical imaging.....»»
The modeling and simulation of self-organized intracellular twisters in the Drosophila oocyte
Cytoplasmic streaming is the large-scale motion of cytoplasm (i.e., gelatinous liquid inside cells) inside a living cell. This flow, known to regulate various intracellular processes, can vary greatly between different cell types at different stages.....»»
Researchers discover that a rare fat molecule helps drive cell death
Columbia researchers have found that a rare type of lipid is a key driver of ferroptosis, a form of cell death discovered by Columbia professor Brent Stockwell......»»
Helium droplets capture double water structure
An elusive structure involving two water molecules, which had been predicted but never observed, has been isolated by RIKEN chemists. This finding could have implications for a wide range of fields ranging from astrochemistry to corrosion of metals......»»
Pore power: High-speed droplet production in microfluidic devices
Over the past two decades, microfluidic devices, which use technology to produce micrometer-sized droplets, have become crucial to various applications. These span chemical reactions, biomolecular analysis, soft-matter chemistry, and the production o.....»»
A cholesterol precursor mediates sensitivity to cell death by ferroptosis
A team of scientists from the University of Ottawa and researchers from other universities and research centers around the world has discovered that 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) is an endogenous suppressor of ferroptosis, which could have important i.....»»
Scientists develop high-precision droplet printing platform for single cell phenotype screening
With the rapid development of genome synthesis and editing technologies, droplet-based single-cell phenotype screening has become increasingly important. However, precise and high-throughput distribution of target droplets into specific macroscopic m.....»»
Bioinspired hydrogel pattern enhances atmospheric water harvesting via directional droplet steering
The water in the air originates from both natural and forced evaporation, with condensation being the final and crucial step in water harvesting. Condensation involves nucleation, growth, and shedding of water droplets, which are then collected......»»
Team expands research of water droplet interfaces that offer the secret ingredient for building life
R. Graham Cooks, the Henry B. Hass Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and his postdoctoral researcher Lingqi Qiu have experimental evidence that the key step in protein formation can occur in droplets of pure water, and have recently published the.....»»
LipidOz: New software enables identification of lipid double bond locations
Lipids are a class of biomolecules that play an important role in many cellular processes. Analyses that seek to characterize all lipids in a sample—called lipidomics—are crucial to studying complex biological systems......»»
How winter storms stress San Luis Obispo County elephant seals in the midst of birthing season
The late December morning rain left droplets on Christine Heinrichs' glasses as she stood among a throng of tourists and watched dozens of elephant seals tussle and sleep on a beach just south of the Piedras Blancas Light Station......»»
Mysterious missing component in the clouds of Venus revealed
What are the clouds of Venus made of? Scientists know it's mainly made of sulfuric acid droplets, with some water, chlorine, and iron. Their concentrations vary with height in the thick and hostile Venusian atmosphere. But until now they have been un.....»»
Location, location, location: Research reveals the hidden power of intracellular neighborhoods
New findings published in Molecular Cell provide details about the hidden organization of the cytoplasm—the soup of liquid, organelles, proteins, and other molecules inside a cell. The research shows it makes a big difference where in that cellular.....»»
Scientists reveal foodcrust archaeology through molecule excavation
A lipid and proteomic study of ancient carbonized material (foodcrust) on pottery from the Taihu Lake region of eastern China has revealed the presence of rice, seafood consumption, various pottery functions, as well as the southward spread and plant.....»»
Nanoparticles amplify potential cancer vaccine power
Johns Hopkins researchers have identified minuscule particles that supercharge therapeutic cancer vaccines, which train the immune system to attack tumors. These new lipid nanoparticles—tiny structures made of fat—not only stimulate a two-pronged.....»»
Scientists create tunable shells to encapsulate tiny droplets
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a novel technique to encapsulate liquid droplets used for various applications, including single crystal growth and cell culture......»»
Researchers observe a hallmark quantum behavior in bouncing droplets
In our everyday classical world, what you see is what you get. A ball is just a ball, and when lobbed through the air, its trajectory is straightforward and clear. But if that ball were shrunk to the size of an atom or smaller, its behavior would shi.....»»
New technology for microscopy analysis provides precise maps of cell membrane lipid rafts
A research team led by Professor Dae-ha Seo at the Department of Physics and Chemistry, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, has successfully developed a new technology for optical microscopy analysis—known as lipid-MAP—which can.....»»
Genetically engineered cell therapies with mRNA lipid nanoparticles for transferrable platelets
Platelet transfusions are essential in managing bleeding and hemostatic dysfunction, and can be expanded to be used as cell therapy for a variety of diseases. The efforts to create such cell therapies require that researchers modify donor platelets t.....»»
Research shows how important protein keeps our cell membranes in balance
Lipids are the main constituents of our cell membranes, which are formed as lipid bilayers. The distribution of lipids is far from uniform; it is asymmetric, with different lipid compositions in the outside and inside layers. This asymmetry is essent.....»»
Water and electricity: Charge effects can influence flowing droplets
From precise inkjet printing to clear vision through spectacle lenses—the influence of droplets and their movement shapes numerous areas of our daily lives. While droplets should remain precisely in place on inkjet prints, it is desirable that they.....»»